Several Democrats Seek to Warm Up Their Chilly Relations with Elon Musk
Democrats had become disillusioned with the wealthiest individual in the world. However, some are beginning to reconsider whether that judgment was misguided.
TroibNews 
Ro Khanna is exchanging texts with Elon Musk. Josh Shapiro received a call from him. John Fetterman has even likened him to the superhero Tony Stark.
As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to appoint Musk as the federal government’s cutter-in-chief, some ambitious Democrats are adopting a more approachable stance toward the billionaire than their party leaders have historically done, recognizing him as one of the most influential figures globally.
“He’s had an undeniable impact on the Pennsylvania election, and I think the election overall,” Fetterman, the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, told PMG. “I’ve warned Democrats, if you’re just going to make fun of it or dismiss it, you do it at our peril. And I think that’s very clear what happened.”
Musk, the world’s richest man, is at the forefront of sectors shaping the future, including space exploration, electric vehicles, AI, and social media. Democrats reaching out to him aim to influence the perspective of someone who will have a significant platform, regardless of their actions. They are also keen to encourage his businesses to grow in their jurisdictions.
Additionally, some of these Democrats are considering presidential ambitions in 2028 and may want to maintain a favorable relationship with Musk for political strategy. This year, Musk contributed $280 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates.
Historically, Democrats have had a frosty relationship with Musk. President Joe Biden mentioned that Musk's connections to foreign countries are “worthy of being looked at,” and referred to him as a one-time “illegal worker.” Musk has reciprocated by labeling both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as “puppets.” Liberals also ridiculed Musk’s acquisition of X and his initiatives to rally voters for Trump, with vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz even mocking him for “skipping like a dipshit” on stage at a rally.
However, many Democrats now believe this dismissive attitude was misguided and assert that Musk significantly aided Trump’s election, suggesting that the left is approaching the president-elect differently this time around. Whether other Democrats will follow suit and what implications arise from such a shift remain to be seen.
There is still a contingent of Democrats who are highly skeptical of Musk, viewing him as one of several billionaires and tech leaders recruited by Trump to populate his administration. These critics worry that Musk aims to implement heavy reductions in federal government spending alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as co-leaders of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“I reserve the right to be surprised, but this looks to me like a coming kleptocracy, in which all these billionaires are running the government in order to rig the rules,” remarked Sen. Chris Murphy. “So I’m pretty fucking skeptical that this is a legitimate effort.”
Khanna, representing Silicon Valley in the House and a potential future presidential candidate, has known Musk for over a decade. He described Musk as “an extraordinary entrepreneur” and compared him to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “dollar-a-year men,” corporate executives who received a nominal salary of $1 per year to assist the federal government during WWII.
Khanna stated he has “exchanged texts” with Musk since Trump appointed him to lead DOGE. While he declined to discuss the specifics of their conversations, he mentioned they have talked about areas for potential collaboration.
“We have a candid conversation. He also knows where I disagree with him,” Khanna noted. “We need to engage these technologists and builders to be part of our coalition, but without compromising our values.”
Musk referred to Khanna as a “sensible moderate” in a post on X after Khanna publicly disagreed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed electric vehicle subsidy, which would likely exclude Tesla. Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
Shapiro, regarded as a leading 2028 presidential candidate, had a brief conversation with Musk in October while Musk was at a Steelers game, where the two discussed investments in Pennsylvania.
“Our conversation was 100% on economic development,” Shapiro told NBC. “I’m always fighting hard to make sure that folks invest in Pennsylvania. We did not discuss politics. We obviously have completely different views on politics, different choices and candidates.”
A spokesperson for Shapiro declined to elaborate on the call. Fetterman noted he has not interacted with Musk but expressed willingness to collaborate on reducing waste, acknowledging Musk’s innovative contributions to the American economy.
“If our government is issuing checks for billions for his companies to rescue our astronauts, or he’s involved in things like AI and really important things, it’s like he is going to be part of this conversation,” Fetterman emphasized. “And that’s a fact. And you want it to be as productive as possible.”
Some progressive lawmakers are also showing a willingness to work with Musk, particularly in advocating cuts from the Pentagon's budget while pursuing their long-standing goals.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren stated, “If Elon Musk wants to change government contracting to cut billions of dollars of waste out of the Pentagon budget, count me in.” Similarly, Sen. Raphael Warnock said, “I’m all in for cutting waste, making our government efficient and delivering for the people of Georgia” and “I’ll work with whomever I have to work with, if I can, to get that done.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders echoed this sentiment on X, saying, “Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions.”
In some respects, Democrats are reverting to their previous stance towards Musk. Prior to aligning with Trump, Musk identified as a Democrat and supported Biden in 2020. Former President Barack Obama once met with Musk in the Oval Office and toured SpaceX with him.
In contrast, Musk has expressed disappointment that the Biden administration has overlooked Tesla, including not inviting the company to the White House’s electric vehicle event. Additionally, Musk and Biden have clashed over labor organizing, with the president backing the United Auto Workers while Musk opposed the union's activities at Tesla. Musk did visit Biden’s White House last year, but that meeting did not include the president himself.
During her presidential campaign, Harris kept Musk at a distance, rejecting an interview with him. Musk remarked while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania that following assassination attempts on the former president, “nobody even bothers to try to kill Kamala,” stating, “It’s pointless. Why? They’ll just get another puppet.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the outgoing chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has expressed a wait-and-see approach regarding Musk and DOGE.
“I never say never to working with somebody, but I got to see what it is, because there’s a lot of controversies and hypocrisies that are out there,” said Jayapal. “I’m gonna put together my own list of where I think we should be cutting. And I have a feeling it’s not gonna be the same as their list. But I’m gonna try.”
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to appoint Musk as the federal government’s cutter-in-chief, some ambitious Democrats are adopting a more approachable stance toward the billionaire than their party leaders have historically done, recognizing him as one of the most influential figures globally.
“He’s had an undeniable impact on the Pennsylvania election, and I think the election overall,” Fetterman, the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, told PMG. “I’ve warned Democrats, if you’re just going to make fun of it or dismiss it, you do it at our peril. And I think that’s very clear what happened.”
Musk, the world’s richest man, is at the forefront of sectors shaping the future, including space exploration, electric vehicles, AI, and social media. Democrats reaching out to him aim to influence the perspective of someone who will have a significant platform, regardless of their actions. They are also keen to encourage his businesses to grow in their jurisdictions.
Additionally, some of these Democrats are considering presidential ambitions in 2028 and may want to maintain a favorable relationship with Musk for political strategy. This year, Musk contributed $280 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates.
Historically, Democrats have had a frosty relationship with Musk. President Joe Biden mentioned that Musk's connections to foreign countries are “worthy of being looked at,” and referred to him as a one-time “illegal worker.” Musk has reciprocated by labeling both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as “puppets.” Liberals also ridiculed Musk’s acquisition of X and his initiatives to rally voters for Trump, with vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz even mocking him for “skipping like a dipshit” on stage at a rally.
However, many Democrats now believe this dismissive attitude was misguided and assert that Musk significantly aided Trump’s election, suggesting that the left is approaching the president-elect differently this time around. Whether other Democrats will follow suit and what implications arise from such a shift remain to be seen.
There is still a contingent of Democrats who are highly skeptical of Musk, viewing him as one of several billionaires and tech leaders recruited by Trump to populate his administration. These critics worry that Musk aims to implement heavy reductions in federal government spending alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as co-leaders of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“I reserve the right to be surprised, but this looks to me like a coming kleptocracy, in which all these billionaires are running the government in order to rig the rules,” remarked Sen. Chris Murphy. “So I’m pretty fucking skeptical that this is a legitimate effort.”
Khanna, representing Silicon Valley in the House and a potential future presidential candidate, has known Musk for over a decade. He described Musk as “an extraordinary entrepreneur” and compared him to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “dollar-a-year men,” corporate executives who received a nominal salary of $1 per year to assist the federal government during WWII.
Khanna stated he has “exchanged texts” with Musk since Trump appointed him to lead DOGE. While he declined to discuss the specifics of their conversations, he mentioned they have talked about areas for potential collaboration.
“We have a candid conversation. He also knows where I disagree with him,” Khanna noted. “We need to engage these technologists and builders to be part of our coalition, but without compromising our values.”
Musk referred to Khanna as a “sensible moderate” in a post on X after Khanna publicly disagreed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed electric vehicle subsidy, which would likely exclude Tesla. Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
Shapiro, regarded as a leading 2028 presidential candidate, had a brief conversation with Musk in October while Musk was at a Steelers game, where the two discussed investments in Pennsylvania.
“Our conversation was 100% on economic development,” Shapiro told NBC. “I’m always fighting hard to make sure that folks invest in Pennsylvania. We did not discuss politics. We obviously have completely different views on politics, different choices and candidates.”
A spokesperson for Shapiro declined to elaborate on the call. Fetterman noted he has not interacted with Musk but expressed willingness to collaborate on reducing waste, acknowledging Musk’s innovative contributions to the American economy.
“If our government is issuing checks for billions for his companies to rescue our astronauts, or he’s involved in things like AI and really important things, it’s like he is going to be part of this conversation,” Fetterman emphasized. “And that’s a fact. And you want it to be as productive as possible.”
Some progressive lawmakers are also showing a willingness to work with Musk, particularly in advocating cuts from the Pentagon's budget while pursuing their long-standing goals.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren stated, “If Elon Musk wants to change government contracting to cut billions of dollars of waste out of the Pentagon budget, count me in.” Similarly, Sen. Raphael Warnock said, “I’m all in for cutting waste, making our government efficient and delivering for the people of Georgia” and “I’ll work with whomever I have to work with, if I can, to get that done.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders echoed this sentiment on X, saying, “Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions.”
In some respects, Democrats are reverting to their previous stance towards Musk. Prior to aligning with Trump, Musk identified as a Democrat and supported Biden in 2020. Former President Barack Obama once met with Musk in the Oval Office and toured SpaceX with him.
In contrast, Musk has expressed disappointment that the Biden administration has overlooked Tesla, including not inviting the company to the White House’s electric vehicle event. Additionally, Musk and Biden have clashed over labor organizing, with the president backing the United Auto Workers while Musk opposed the union's activities at Tesla. Musk did visit Biden’s White House last year, but that meeting did not include the president himself.
During her presidential campaign, Harris kept Musk at a distance, rejecting an interview with him. Musk remarked while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania that following assassination attempts on the former president, “nobody even bothers to try to kill Kamala,” stating, “It’s pointless. Why? They’ll just get another puppet.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the outgoing chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has expressed a wait-and-see approach regarding Musk and DOGE.
“I never say never to working with somebody, but I got to see what it is, because there’s a lot of controversies and hypocrisies that are out there,” said Jayapal. “I’m gonna put together my own list of where I think we should be cutting. And I have a feeling it’s not gonna be the same as their list. But I’m gonna try.”
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
